


The Bachelorette

by Triskel_Samulet



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - The Bachelor Fusion, Architect Derek Hale, Bachelorette Lydia Martin, Claudia Stilinski Feels, Everyone Is Alive, Falling In Love, First Dates, First Kiss, Getting Together, Getting to Know Each Other, Group Dates, Multi, Sleeping Together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:40:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27071374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Triskel_Samulet/pseuds/Triskel_Samulet
Summary: When Stiles sees his childhood friend and former love of his life announced as the next bachelorette, he knows he will do whatever it takes to get on that show and reconnect with her.Meanwhile, Bachelor make-up artist, Laura Hale, sees this as the perfect opportunity to get her brother to start dating. After talking to the producers everything is set for him to join the next season of the bachelorette.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Lydia Martin, Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Lydia Martin/Everyone, Lydia Martin/Stiles Stilinski
Comments: 28
Kudos: 138





	1. Week One

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! Starting this fic does not mean I'm abandoning my other WIP. I'm being ambitious and trying to write both as the inspiration strikes.
> 
> If you like this, please leave kudos and/or comments.

Stiles couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He had been roped into a watch party with his best friend Scott and Scott’s wife, Kira, to watch the season finale of The Bachelor and then to watch After the Final Rose. He thought it was dumb, but his former best friend and love of his life, Lydia, had been on this season. She made it to the top four before being kicked off the show.

It had been about fifteen years since Stiles had seen Lydia. They grew up together and Stiles was always amazed by her brilliant mind and when they grew up, her amazing body. Sadly, when his dad was elected sheriff, they had to move to Beacon Hills and away from Lydia. They had tried to keep in touch, but they both wanted to be valedictorians at their respective schools, so that didn’t leave much time to talk to someone they never got to see.

But this! This could be his chance! It was just announced that Lydia was going to be the next bachelorette and Stiles was going to do whatever it took to be one of the men on that show.

Laura smiled as she got off the phone with her boss. She turned to Derek with a wicked smile on her face.

“I don’t like that look.” He growled at her.

She wasn’t phased, though. She just plopped herself back down next to him on the couch.

“You know how mom and I are always bugging you to go on dates?” She asked in her sweetest voice.

Derek glared at her, “I’m not going on another one of your blind dates.”

“If you do this one, I will never try to set you up again.”

He rolled his eyes, “What’s her name?”

Laura smirked, “Lydia.”

Derek’s eyebrows shot up. They had just finished watching After the Final Rose, so it was no surprise that he connected the dots. She did work as a make-up artist for the show, after all. She had the connections to make sure Derek was one of the men chosen to be on this show and he knew there was no getting out of it now.

Due to Derek’s glares and glowers, none of the make-up artists wanted to work with him so he was stuck with Laura.

“What are you going to do when you get out of the limo?” She asked him for the hundredth time.

“I’ll say hi.” He retorted, earning him a punch to the shoulder.

“You need to do something that will make you stand out!” She yelled, “Something that will catch her eye and not say, ‘is this dude going to murder me with his eyebrows?’”

“Keep talking and I am going to rip your throat out… with my teeth.”

This comment made the guy in the next chair start to laugh, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but how did someone with so little people skills get on this show?” The guy seemed to realize what he had said, “I am so sorry, I didn’t mean to say- you know what? It’ll be better if I just shut up.”

Derek looked back at Laura and saw she was wearing a calculating smirk, which never meant anything good for him, “I knew you wouldn’t have a plan so I took the liberty of having one of your sketches framed.”

She pulled out a small frame containing one of the first sketches he made of their childhood home.

“What am I supposed to do with this, Laura?” He asked her.

She rolled her eyes, “It’s like you’ve never seen the show. You explain that you’re an architect and you give this to her saying you wanted to show her one of your first sketches. It will set you apart.”

“You should listen to her.” The random guy butt in again, “Sorry. I have problems keeping to myself.”

Derek gave him a raised eyebrow, “And what’s your plan.”

The guy smiled at him, “I’m just going to show up.”

“That’s it?” Laura asked.

“Yup. That’s all it will take to get me past the first round.” This guy was all confidence and false bravado. Derek just rolled his eyes and the producer came into the room.

“Limo one will be Derek, Jordan, Theo, Isaac, Matt, Chris, Donovan, and Adrian. Limo two Jackson, Boyd, Liam, Brett, Nolan, Tyler H, Dylan S, and Duke. Limo three will be Aiden, Nathan, Gabe, Bobby, Dylan O, Tyler P, Ennis, and Sebastian.”

Then the producer walked over to the man next to Derek and escorted him out, whispering something to him. Derek looked over at Laura and saw a pinched expression on her face.

“What’s wrong?”

“They only named twenty-four men,” She responded, “There’s something off about that guy.”

Derek grunted his agreement before standing and making sure his tux looked good. He headed over to the first limo. His stomach was in knots. He didn’t like regular dating, let alone whatever this was.

Lydia’s hair was curled perfectly, her make up was immaculate, and her dress was a bold red and hugged her in all the right places. She was standing in front of the bachelor mansion waiting for the limos to arrive. She had already done this once before, on the other side, but she was still nervous.

Chris Harrison walked up to her, “Alright, Lydia, you’ve been here before, you know how this works. Twenty-five men are anxiously awaiting meeting you and seeing if there is a spark between you two. So get ready, because here comes the first limo.”

He walked away and she was left standing there watching the first limo drive up. The door opened and out walked this adonis of a man. He was tall with dark hair and just the right amount of well groomed stubble. He also seemed to be pretty muscular under his tux.

When he reached her he gave her an awkward hug, “I’m Derek. It’s nice to meet you.”

“It’s so nice to meet you too!” She said.

“Um, so I’m an architect and I wanted to give you one of the first sketches I did. It’s my childhood home.” He handed her a small frame.

“This is so good! How old were you when you did this?”

“About ten.”

“Wow! That’s impressive. I look forward to talking to you more about it inside.” They hugged again and he went inside.

Next was Jordan who did a fire breathing trick, Theo who kissed the back of her hand and acted like the perfect gentleman, and Isaac, the fashion designer. She was going to have to ask him to hook her up with some of his scarves. The last four in the first limo didn’t leave that big of an impression on her. Lydia wished she was better at remembering names.

The second limo pulled up and the first guy out of that limo was a smoke show, too. He introduced himself as Jackson as they hugged and then told her to close her eyes for a surprise. She did and he ended up kissing her. She wasn’t expecting to kiss anyone on the first day, but it was amazing. He was definitely staying.

Next was a burly black man who introduced himself as Boyd and then picked her up and spun her around. He seemed like he might be fun. Then it was a young guy named Liam. He reminded her of a little puppy. Then there were a few people who were harder to remember. The last one out of the second limo was Duke. He was blind and his guide dog was so cute!

Finally the last limo pulled up. Just nine more men to meet. This limo only had one real stand out; Aiden. He was exactly Lydia’s type. Bobby seemed too weird and there was a strange energy around Sebastian. Ennis was too much the alpha man bullshit stereotype and the rest weren’t memorable at all.

Chris Harrison came out again and said, “Alright, how are you feeling so far?”

“I’m feeling good,” She responded, “There are some really good guys in there and I’m looking forward to getting to know them more tonight and over the coming weeks.”

“Well, you might have noticed that we were one man short.”

“Actually no,” Lydia laughed, “It was so overwhelming I didn’t count.”

“Well, there is one more and he’s coming right now.”

Chris walked away as the last limo pulled up. She wondered why this last guy got his own grand entrance. The limo door opened and Lydia sucked in a breath. She couldn’t believe it! She picked up her dress and ran to the man in front of her.

Stiles caught her, picked her up, and spun her around, “It’s good to see you, Ariel.”

“What are you doing here?” She asked.

“Well, I never told you, but I had a crush on you growing up,” Stiles admitted, “And I wanted to see if any of that was still there. Worst case scenario we catch up, best case we get married.”

“This is the best surprise!” She said, giving him another hug, “You better get inside. The guys are probably wondering where I am.”

“Alright. I’ll see you in there, Lyds.” He smiled at her and went inside the house.

Stiles walked into the house and he could tell all the guys had been expecting it to be Lydia.

“She’ll be in soon. I was the last bachelor… I’m Stiles.” He awkwardly waved to the group as they all turned away and restarted their conversations.

He spotted the guy from earlier sitting alone in the corner, so he went over and joined him, “I never got your name.”

“Derek.” He gave Stiles a calculating look, “What earned you a special entrance?”

Stiles smiled, “Childhood friends.”

Derek nodded. Obviously he had seen the show enough to know the producers love pulling stuff like this out of their hats.

Lydia finally came in and the cocktail party started. There were a few group conversations, but the one on ones started quickly. When she was talking to Derek, he saw the guy actually smile and talk with his hands a little. The smile looked good on him.

When it was finally his turn, they spent most of it laughing over their past antics and trying to figure out why they didn’t stay in contact.

“No matter what happens here,” Lydia said, “I want to come over and have dinner with your parents. They were always so good to me.”

Stiles let a sad smile overtake his face, “My dad would love that. My mom ended up dying; dementia.”

“Oh, Stiles.” She gave him a big hug and shortly thereafter they were interrupted by Theo who wanted his chance at one on one time.

Stiles understood. This wasn’t really the best environment to catch up on fifteen years of someone’s life, especially the sob story parts.

He ended up on a couch back in the main room next to Derek. The man gave him a concerned look and asked, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Just some bad memories came up, is all. I’m fine.” Derek gave him a dubious look before nodding and turning back to the conversation the other guys were having.

Lydia walked into the room and picked up the rose from the table, “Stiles, can I talk to you outside?”

“Sure.” He said as he got up and followed her out.

“I wanted to give you the first impression rose to show you just how important you are to me. I know this environment isn’t the easiest to reconnect in and there will be interruptions, but I care about you and I want to keep you around, no matter what.” She looked him in the eyes, “So, Stiles, will you accept this rose.”

“Yes, I will gladly accept this rose.” He took the rose and gave her a big hug.

They moved back into the main room and just as Chris came in to take Lydia away to get ready for the rose ceremony.

The production team got the men set up and ready to go. Derek was nervous. He didn’t really want to be here, but Lydia seemed nice and easy to talk to. Maybe Laura wasn’t completely wrong when she sent him here.

He was also curious about this Stiles guy. There was no way that was his real name and it seemed like he and Lydia had a solid connection and they knew each other outside of the show, so why aren’t they already together? Why is Lydia on this show when Stiles was here?

There was something magnetic about the guy. He could enter smoothly into any conversation and he brightened up any room he walked into. These were observations after only one night. If Stiles didn’t win, Derek would be shocked. She would be crazy not to pick him.

Lydia walked in and said something about how this was a hard decision and she was sad to have to let so many of them go. To be honest he hadn’t really been paying attention, but he tuned in now as she picked up the first rose.

“Jordan, will you accept this rose?” She asked. And it went on like that, “Boyd, will you accept this rose… Isaac, will you accept this rose… Jackon… Brett… Aiden… Duke… Matt… Chris… Liam… Bobby… Nolan…”

“This is the final rose tonight. Lydia, when you’re ready.” Chris Harrison said. One rose left and eleven guys. Derek was probably going home. At least he didn’t have to worry about his family trying to set him up anymore.

“Derek,” Wait, that was his name! Derek walked up to Lydia, “Derek, will you accept this rose?”

“Yes.” He said, taking the rose and giving Lydia a hug.

Chris walked back into the room, “If you did not receive a rose, it’s time to say your goodbyes.”

To say Derek was shocked would be an understatement. He had been sure he was about to go home, but instead he ended up with the last rose of the night. He felt someone gently bump into his shoulder.

He looked over and saw Stiles standing there, “The first and last roses of the night. Guess we have to deal with each other for another week.”

“Yeah, I guess so.” He said as Stiles walked away. This experience was probably going to be the death of him.


	2. Week 2

Once the ten roseless men left, Chris Harrison reentered the room.

“Alright, now it’s time for you guys to get settled in. However, this is Lydia’s house. I’d like you all to follow me to the bunk house.” He said.

The guys all followed him to a smaller house on the other end of the driveway. It was probably originally the pool house. During the Bachelor, this was the bachelor pad, however, now a house meant for one would be shared with fifteen men. The lower level had a pool table and a bar area as well as a kitchen and some couches. The upstairs had two bathrooms and one bedroom with fifteen twin sized beds squished into it.

“Get cozy. I’ll be back tomorrow with the first date card.” With that, Christ left.

Stiles saw all of their luggage was already there and so he moved to his assigned bed and noted that the bed next to his had bags labeled “Derek H.” He smiled to himself. He was looking forward to getting to know Derek for however long they were here together. As of right now they were only guaranteed one week, and Stiles was going to make the most of every moment.

When Derek got to his bed, Stiles put on his most charming smile and said, “I guess we’re going to be bunk mates, huh?”

Derek’s eyebrows pinched and raised a little, “We’re all bunkmates… this is the bunk house.”

“Well, yeah, but… oh never mind.” Stiles grabbed a change of clothes, his towel, and a toothbrush and headed for the showers. Apparently his charm didn’t work on incredibly hot guys. But he wasn’t here to get the hot guy, he was here to get his dream girl.

He brushed his teeth in the shower in order to save time and conserve water. It was a habit he picked up in college when he didn’t want to fight for a shower and a sink. When he got back to the bed room, he saw Derek was already in bed sleeping. Stiles took a moment to look at the other man when no one else was around. His features were softer than earlier; no longer burdened by nerves. Stiles smiled at the sight before getting under his own covers and falling asleep for the night.

The next morning, Derek was up before anyone else. He was used to getting up early for a morning run, but that wasn’t an option while the show was filming. He decided, instead, to go to the kitchen and make some breakfast for everybody. When he lived at home he would cook for his entire extended family regularly, so the portions weren’t hard to do, and this time he didn’t have to worry about the cost of the food.

The other guys slowly came downstairs one by one and they were all pleasantly surprised with the breakfast he had made… well, all but Theo and Matt. There was something off with those two.

The last one down was Stiles. He stumbled down the stairs looking like he had just thrown an outfit on blindly. He also looked like he was still sleeping, if that was possible. He sat at the counter and made no move to get food, so Derek made him a plate and a cup of coffee and placed it in front of him.

He took a bite of eggs and immediately perked up, “Whoever made these needs to marry me immediately!”

Derek choked the bite of sausage he had just taken.

“Well, if you and Derek do get married that means less competition for Lydia.” Jackson smirked.

Stiles rolled his eyes, “You know what I meant. These eggs are amazing!” He paused and tilted his head, “Wait, Derek, you made this?” Derek nodded, “All of this?” He nodded again.

“Big family.” He explained with a shrug and then put his empty plate in the sink, “I cooked, someone else cleans.” And with that he took his mug of coffee and went to sit in the other room.

Shortly after this, the producers came in and told them to get ready for Chris’ arrival and the first date card. They all got situated in the living room/game room area and Chris came in.

“There are three dates this week. Two one on ones, and a group date.” He explained, “There are roses up for grabs on each date. If you get a rose, you are safe this week and you get to move into the mansion for the rest of the week. If you do not get a rose on a one on one date, you will be going home immediately, so have your bags packed before the date. Not everyone will be going on a date this week. I have the first date card right here.” He pulled out the card and put it on the pool table and then left.

Liam shot up and grabbed the card, “Matt, let’s take things to new heights. Lydia.” He handed the card over to Matt as the rest of the guys catcalled. He got up to get ready and Derek couldn’t help but hope he would be sent home during this date.

The rest of the guys got up, some started a game of pool, others went to clean up after breakfast. He felt the cushions of the couch move and saw Stiles had plopped himself down next to him.

“What’s your plan for the dateless days?” He asked, “I brought a few books, but I figured I should be social as well.”

“Um, I don’t know.” Derek answered honestly, “My sister signed me up and made me come, so I didn’t really have a plan.”

“That makes sense.” Stiles was silent for a moment before he continued, “Was that your sister doing your makeup? Who gave you that sketch to give to Lydia?”

“Yup, that’s Laura.” He said, “She’s been working for the Bachelor for about five years now. Made it easy for her to get me here.”

The two of them spent the rest of the day together. They played some pool and some foosball. Some games other guys joined them for and they made two teams of two and others it was just Stiles and Derek. He found he liked being around Stiles. There was something relaxing about his presents and he loved listening to Stiles rant about the history of pool and whether pool and billiards are the same game. He found he smiled more today than he had in… he didn’t know how long.

There was a knock on the door and Brett came back with the second date card, “Derek, Jordan, Theo, Bobby, Stiles, Boyd, Liam, Nolan, Jackson, and me, let’s kick it into gear. Lydia.”

“Okay, who wasn’t on the card?” Jordan asked. Isaac, Aiden, Duke, and Chris raised their hands, “One of you is very, very lucky.” He commented.

“Yeah, and the rest of us are very, very unlucky.” Isaac said and they all couldn’t help but agree.

Just then, they heard the door open and the shuffling of luggage.

“Is it going to the house or is he leaving?” Theo said. They all hopped up and followed the crew members with Matt’s luggage.

Derek couldn’t help how early it was that he was being moved. The sun hadn’t even gone down yet. What happened on the date? They saw the crew members put the bags in a car and drive away. They all looked at each other with wide eyes.

“Guess she knows what she wants.” Boyd commented.

The rest of the day had a sense of unease in the bunkhouse. Derek wasn’t sure if it was unheard of for someone to be sent home on the first date, but it was definitely rare. It made them all wonder what happened that would have made her so sure so early.

The next day, Derek and nine other guys got ready for their date with Lydia. Based on the note, it was something athletic, so they all dressed for movement, but made sure they still looked good. The producers also had them prepare garment bags for the various stages of the date.

They got in two limos and ended up at a professional soccer field. Derek didn’t really pay attention to sports, so he had no clue what team played here, but it was still really cool.

They all had fun just kicking some balls around, joking, and laughing. But then they were told to split into two teams. The winner would continue on the date and the losers would go back to the bunk house. The red team was Derek, Jordan, Boyd, Liam, and Bobby. The blue team was Stiles, Jackson, Nolan, Theo, and Brett.

Derek had to admit he was upset to be on a different team than Stiles, but all in all the teams seemed to be evenly matched, so he didn’t let himself dwell on it.

The game was pretty fun, but there was an underlying competitive tension because of what was at stake. Jordan was manning the goal for his team and when he dived for the ball, his shirt ended up getting caught on the goal post and it tore his shirt off. Derek saw Lydia give an appreciative look.

The score was tied and Derek had the ball. He saw Stiles coming for him and then their legs got tangled when he tried to steal the ball. The two of them ended up on the ground and Stiles was on top of Derek.

“Aw, don’t you two make a cute couple.” Jackson smirked.

Derek and Stiles caught each other’s eyes and couldn’t help but laugh at the situation. Stiles rolled off him and they both got up and finished the game. Derek’s team ended up winning, which meant Stiles and his team were going home.

He watched the van leave with the five contestants leave while the other guys turned their attention on Lydia. Soon a limo showed up to take them to the next location. They had dinner on a rooftop and just hung out. There was a hot tub, so Jordan stayed shirtless the whole time. They each had time to talk to Lydia one on one and those conversations lasted for a pretty long time.

He asked Lydia what her friends were like and she told him about growing up with Stiles and her high school best friend, Allison. Derek then told her about his sisters and his best friend, Erica, who he tried to keep away from his sisters at all costs. They each laughed at the embarrassing stories the other shared and Derek was having a genuinely good time.

The end of the night quickly came and Lydia ended up giving the rose to Jordan, which was no surprise considering how she had been eyeing him all day. When they got back to the bunk house, he tried not to be too disappointed that Stiles was already asleep, but there was always tomorrow.

The next morning Stiles dragged himself out of bed to find Derek had cooked breakfast for everyone again, waffles this time. Stiles couldn’t help but moan as he took a bite, “This is so good, Derek! Is there any way I can take you home with me to be my own personal chef?”

“No.” Derek responded before stealing a piece of bacon from his plate and Stiles couldn’t do anything but sputter in response.

“Who’s going on the date today?” Liam asked.

“Duke and his guide dog.” Theo said with an eye roll.

Stiles really didn’t like this guy. Everyone else thought he was cool and fun, but Stiles thought there was something skeevy about him.

Duke came down the stairs slowly with his dog in front of him in a sexy, but casual outfit. Lydia was definitely going to be impressed. He saw Isaac coming down the stairs after him, he must have helped Duke get ready, which was probably why he looked so good.

“Wish me luck, guys!” Duke called before leaving for his date. Stiles could tell he was nervous. Who wouldn’t be after Matt got kicked off the show not even halfway through the first date.

Stiles tried to take his mind off it by goofing around with the twelve guys who were currently in the bunk house. Just like last time, he ended up spending most of the day with Derek. After lunch he loaned Derek one of his books and they just sat outside together and read for most of the afternoon. It was peaceful and nice.

After dinner the crew came to take Duke’s bags and they followed them up to the main house. Looks like he was staying. That made the rest of the guys breathe a sigh of relief to see someone actually come back from a one on one date.

The time for the cocktail party finally came and Lydia took one last look to make sure her hair and makeup was perfect. When she walked down the stairs, Jordan said, “You look amazing!”

“I bet she does.” Duke added.

This made Lydia smile. She definitely made the right choice in keeping these two around. The doorbell rang and Lydia went over to welcome the other guys to the party. Drinks were passed around and before she knew it she was swept away on her first one on one with Chris.

She tried to keep her focus on those who didn’t get a date and those who had to leave the group date, but it was hard when she kept getting stolen away mid conversation. She knew what it was like to be on the other end of that situation and it wasn’t fun. Before she knew it, it was time to go to the deliberation room and decide which two were being sent home.

It was still early, but it was so hard to make this choice. She felt like she didn’t really know anyone well enough to send them home, well except Matt. She was not appreciative of how handsy he got and she really hated the lewd comments he made to her on their date and she sent him home immediately. The rose hadn’t even been in play yet, but she wanted him gone!

Looking at the pictures of each of the guys, she thought back to how they were on the group date. Aiden, Theo, Jackson, and Liam were all super competitive, but they still seemed to have fun. Stiles and Derek ended up on top of one another, which was really funny. She got to see Jordan’s hot body, and she is so glad he has a rose already. This was a hard choice.

She finally left the deliberation room and made her way back to the guys. She stood next to the pile of roses and started.

“Nolan. Nolan, will you accept this rose?” She asked.

“Yes.”

And it continued, “Isaac, Derek, Aiden, Liam, Theo, Stiles, Brett, Jackson.”

Chris came back in the room, “It’s the final rose tonight. When you’re ready.”

The men left were Boyd, Chris, and Bobby. Two of them would be going home.

“Boyd. Boyd, will you accept this rose?” She asked.

“Yes.” He responded.

Chris walked back in, “If you do not have a rose, it’s time to say your goodbyes.”

She hugged both of them before they left. She felt terrible sending them home, but she felt there was too much of an age gap between her and Chris, and Bobby was a little too out there, but he was still fun. She hoped they would both find someone who saw how wonderful they were.

Glasses of champagne were being passed around the remaining contestants and she stepped over and took one.

“To another awesome week together!” She said as they all clinked their glasses.


	3. Week 3

The guys were hanging around the bunk house after breakfast when Chris came in with the first date card of the week. Isaac hopped up and opened the card.

“Derek, are you ready to howl? Lydia.” He read. That caused the guys to howl at Derek as he left to get ready for his date.

When he came back downstairs, he made eye contact with Stiles who gave him a wink and finger guns. Everyone followed him outside where Lydia was waiting for him with a helicopter.

He helped Lydia in before climbing in after her. They put on their headsets and made light conversation about how they were excited for the date. They also pointed out various sights around LA. Based on what they were seeing on the ground, he would say they were headed east, outside of the city.

They landed on a field at the base of the hill. He could see what looked like a forest at the top of the hill. There was something very familiar about where they were, but he couldn’t quite place it.

They walked the small hike up the hill and when they reached the top he realized why it was so familiar.

“Fuck.” He muttered when he saw the Wolf Mountain Sanctuary sign.

“What’s wrong?” Lydia asked.

“Um.. Well-”

Before he could explain, a young woman with dark hair came out of the building and started talking to them.

“Hello! My name is Cora and I’ll be taking you- Derek?” She gasped.

“Hey, Cora.” Derek let a small smile come over his face, “Lydia, this is my baby sister Cora. Our parents would take us to this sanctuary growing up and Cora loved it so much she decided to make a career out of it.”

“Wolves are much better than people.” Cora said with a solemn expression.

Lydia laughed, “Well, I honestly had no clue, but I’m expecting embarrassing stories. Need to know what I’m getting into.”

Cora gave her a scrutinizing look before turning to Derek, “I like her.”

Derek shook his head and the three of them went inside. It was a nice day, he’s always felt comfortable around the wolves and he got a chance to see if this really was Lydia’s thing and if she would fit in his world and with his family. They spent a lot of time laughing at the various stories Cora shared and Lydia shared a few of her own.

“Now here we have one of my favorite wolves,” Cora said, bringing them to a large, black wolf, “I call him Derek because his social skills remind me of someone we all know and love.” She smirked at them.

Derek bristled at the use of the word love. Yeah, he and Lydia had fun together, but they were nowhere near love. Maybe they would get to that point eventually, but he didn’t like being so cavalier with love.

“Can we pet him?” Lydia asked.

“He might growl at you a little,” She explained, “But he’s more bark than bite. As soon as you start petting him he’ll be putty in your hands.” She gave Derek a look that made Lydia laugh.

Soon they were both kneeling on the ground next to wolf Derek, giving him belly rubs as his tongue lolled so cutely. While Lydia seemed to be more material, he loved that she was getting into this and embracing the nature and the wildness of the wolves.

On their way out they gave goodbye hugs and he heard Cora tell Lydia that they better see each other on the hometown dates or else. That comment made Lydia laugh and Derek roll his eyes which was pretty much par for the course of this date.

From there, a limo picked them up and took them to a five star restaurant where they ate at a rooftop table. Before sitting down, Derek changed into a nice suit and Lydia changed into a stunning purple dress that looked like it was made for the red carpet.

“That dress looks great on you.” Derek said before giving her a kiss on the cheek.

“Thank you. You don’t look too bad yourself.” Came her reply.

They sat down and Derek had the steak and Lydia had some sort of pasta dish. They fed each other the food from their plates so they could get a taste. Honestly, he didn’t understand why five star restaurants were seen as so much better than other places, but he could still appreciate the good food.

“Okay, so there’s Cora, whom I just met, and Laura who works for the show. Are there any other siblings?” Lydia asked.

“No other siblings, but a big extended family who are always over. Uncle Peter has three kids of his own and Aunt Lucy has four kids. It gets crazy sometimes, but I love them. What about you?”

“I’m an only child. My parents divorced when I was in high school. I always wanted a big family, but it ended up being just me and my mom.” Lydia gave him a sad smile. He took that moment to take off his suit coat and place it on her shoulders, kind of as a mock comfort item.

Lydia reached out to the rose that was sitting on the table.

“I had a really great time today,” She started, “I honestly had no idea your sister worked at the wolf sanctuary. Maybe Laura had something to do with it, but I don’t know. It was great meeting her, though, and seeing you two interact together. You’ve kept me grounded through this, so Derek, will you accept this rose?”

“Yes, I will.” Lydia pinned the rose on his jacket and then returned it.

“There is one more surprise.” She said before leading him to another section of the roof where a small stage was set up and Ellie Goulding was singing. They ended their night dancing to the music.

It didn’t hit Derek until they got back to the house that this meant he was moving in with Lydia for the week. He wouldn’t get to see Stiles until the cocktail party unless he also got a rose on a date.

The bunk house wasn’t as fun when Derek wasn’t there. He tried just reading on his own, but Theo wouldn’t leave him alone. It seemed like this guy had pissed off the rest of the house and was trying to find an ally in the recluse. Looks like they found the villain of this season.

He went back inside to try and get away when he heard a knock on the door. He opened it and found the next date card.

“Date card everyone!” He yelled and then waited for everyone to congregate in the living room area, “Boyd, me, Isaac, Nolan, Jordan, Jackson, Theo, Aiden, and Liam, get ready to picture this. Lydia.”

“A photo shoot?” Jackson asked with a smirk. And of course that guy would be excited, he was a model. Stiles on the other hand was gangly and pale and covered in moles. He wasn’t photoshoot material and Lydia knew that. There was a good chance he was going to be going home after whatever disaster was going down on this date.

“It sounds like Brett will get the other one on one this week.” Duke commented and the guy had a point. The only two not going were him and Brett and Duke got a one on one the week before.

Later that night they saw crew members move Derek’s stuff into the main house, which meant he was staying. His heart twisted at the realization that he wouldn’t see Derek until the cocktail party and that would most likely be goodbye. He had no clue how many guys were going home this week, but he was sure he was one of them.

He had trouble sleeping that night and the next morning his heart sunk when there was no breakfast to greet him. Stiles and the other guys got ready for their date and then climbed into the two limos that were waiting for them.

They pulled up to a huge mansion that bordered on a forest. This place had so much land that it looked like it was in the middle of nowhere and the house was big and white and had freaking pillars. Lydia was waiting on the stairs and greeted them all as they came out of the limo.

“So today we are going to do something fun and out there,” She started, “As you probably guessed from the date card today is a photo shoot, but it’s actually a shoot for the cover of cosmo! These guys are here to get you in costume and do your makeup and then we will do our shoots! Some will be one on one, some two on one. It’s going to be great!”

Lydia’s energy and positivity with this was infectious. He was actually excited to get into costume. He ended up in a pair of jeans, a vest, and a cowboy hat. He looked at the others and saw them in similar states of dress… or undress in Jordan’s case. It turned out he wasn’t getting any clothes for his shoot. He didn’t seem phased at all. Was this guy a secret nudist or something?

Jackson’s shoot was up first. He was wearing a tuxedo with the shirt unbuttoned halfway down and the tie undone. They did a lot of sexy, steamy photos before they went in for the kiss. The other guys (especially Theo) got super jealous, but Stiles surprisingly felt nothing. Maybe it was because he had actually seen the shoe before and he knew how it all worked or maybe it was because the two of them had been friends for so long, but he didn’t really mind that Jackson and Lydia were practically making out in front of everybody.

The rest of the shoots went about the same, except for Jordan’s. They didn’t want any inappropriate boners, so there was no kissing involved there. Liam’s was also interesting. On his way outside and on the way to the location he ended up falling in a hole. He was fine, but ended up super dirty for the photos. They worked with it, though.

Stiles ended up being the last one to shoot his pictures and his was outside as well. He made sure to avoid Liam’s hole and made his way over to the fence. Just like the others, it started out with normal pictures, then turned a little sexy as Lydia started playing with his vest, and then turned steamy once they went in for the kiss.

Stiles had dreamed for most of his life what kissing Lydia would feel like. He imagined passion and fireworks and a battle for dominance, but instead it was a soft, sweet press of the lips. There was a little bit of tongue involved, but not much. It didn’t really stand out from any other kiss he had and frankly that was disappointing after so much build up.

They all changed back into their normal clothes and gathered to see who got the cover. It was going to be a special bachelorette addition of the magazine so all the photos would be used, but the one they think had the most chemistry with Lydia would get the cover.

“All of the photos were great,” The editor in chief said, “But one of you looked so amazing with Lydia during your shoot, so Jackson, congratulations on making the cover.”

No one was really surprised by that. The only competition he really had was Jordan and that was more for the shock factor than anything else.

After the photoshoot, Lydia took them all to a nightclub that the show rented out for the evening. They all danced, ate, and drank and just had an all around good time. Or, well, most of them did. Whenever Lydia went off on a one on one with someone, Theo just got really stoney. It seemed he was done trying to charm the guys onto his side. Because of this, everyone else elected to ignore him, which further soured his mood.

Anytime Lydia would walk back in Theo would light up and act like he was the life of the party. Stiles briefly thought about telling Lydia this, but he knew she was intelligent both when it came to science and math as well as socially smart. She didn’t become queen bee starting from kindergarten for nothing.

“So, what do you do, Stiles?” Lydia asked when they finally got their one on one time.

“Have we not covered this yet?” Stiles was genuinely shocked. How did they get to week three without discussing careers? “I’m a forensic scientist with the Beacon Hills sheriff’s station. Yes, that means my dad is my boss. No, I don’t get any special treatment. If anything I get treated worse because of it.”

“What made you go into forensics?” Lydia asked.

“Well, I wanted to go into law enforcement, like my dad. He was my hero; still is. But I knew how much strain that puts on a family and I knew I wanted to settle down and I couldn’t put anyone through that. I loved solving crimes, though. And as you know I rock at science.”

“I seem to remember some molotov cocktails were made.” Lydia smiled.

“Yeah. So I thought that was a safer route. I still went to the police academy and I can carry, just for added protection on the job.” He added.

Shortly afterwards they were interrupted by Theo who wanted his time with Lydia. Stiles wasn’t going to cause a scene so he went back to the other guys. Lydia and Theo came back about fifteen minutes later and she took the rose to give it to one of them.

“I am going to give this to the guy who had the best attitude all day. Despite the modeling not being his thing, he still went into it with so much enthusiasm-” Wow, Stiles might actually get the rose and get to spend the rest of the week in the house with Derek, “Theo, will you accept this rose?”

Stiles took back everything he said about Lydia being socially smart.

The next day was insufferable. Derek had to be in the house with Theo while Lydia went on her date with Brett. He didn’t have any of Stiles’ books to distract himself with and this guy thought they were buddy buddy.

Derek found a gym in the house and decided to go for a run on the treadmill, but Theo also decided working out was a good idea. Derek chose to go for a swim and Theo was right there, too. He eventually locked himself in the bathroom just to get away from the other man. All he wanted to talk about was how the other guys sucked, but from where Derek was standing, Theo was the one who sucked.

Finally Lydia and Brett came home so he no longer had to deal with Theo alone and after that it seemed to be the cocktail party in no time. He was really looking forward to this one. It was probably because this was the first one he was going into with a rose in hand.

This week, he decided to play it cool and let those still vying for a rose have more of Lydia’s time. Theo, however, was not so kind. He interrupted Duke’s time with Lydia and he was the only one who didn’t get a date this week. After pulling a move like that he should be going home, but he already had a rose so they had to wait at least another week for that to happen.

Stiles walked up to him with a drink in each hand, “This one’s for you.” He said with a smile. Derek couldn’t help but return it as he took the glass from the man.

“How was your group date?” Derek asked.

“It was alright. We did a big photoshoot. Theo got the rose.” He said with an eye roll. Derek snorted, “What about your big one on one?”

“Met my sister. Played with some wolves.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Stiles gave him an astonished look, “Lydia met your sister? The makeup artist?”

“No, that’s Laura,” Derek explained, “She met Cora, who works at the wolf sanctuary we went to.”

“Weird coincidence but okay.”

Derek snorted again, “You’re telling me.”

Stiles then left to try and get his one on one time and Derek was left alone. While alone was his default state, he found he enjoyed being in Stiles company more than being alone. The only other people that fell in that category were his family members, and even that depended on the day.

Everyone congregated in the main room again and Chris came in to grab Lydia and tell them that two people would be going home at the rose ceremony that night. After she left, Derek and the other guys started getting ready.

“Are you nervous?” Derek asked Stiles.

“Of course I’m nervous,” He responded, “If Theo’s her type of guy then I’m very likely going home tonight.”

“She’d have to be a fool to send you home.” Derek said before he let himself be taken away to his spot next to Theo and Brett for the rose ceremony.

Once they were situated, Lydia came back in and stood next to the table of roses and started calling out names.

“Isaac, Isaac will you accept this rose? Jordan… Aiden… Duke… Jackson… Boyd…”

Chris came back in, “It’s the final rose of the night. When you’re ready.”

No! Derek thought, Stiles couldn’t be going home! Stiles was so perfect and Nolan and Liam were great, but fresh out of college. Lydia would do so much better keeping Stiles around. They had been childhood friends, right? She can’t throw away so much history. He had a one in three chance of making it and Derek was praying to whatever god was out there that Stiles would get to stay.

“Stiles, Stiles will you accept this rose?” Lydia asked.

“Yes.” Stiles responded before giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

Derek let out a sigh of relief. That had been way too close. He said his goodbyes to Liam and Nolan, but was secretly celebrating their leaving and another week with Stiles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not claim to know anything about what behind the scenes of the bachelorette looks like. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	4. Week 4

As Lydia was making a toast for the remaining ten bachelors, Chris came in and announced they needed to pack their bags because the were all going to St. Petersburg, Russia. They split up to their respective homes to pack and sleep before the flight tomorrow.

On the flight, the ten remaining guys were all together in coach while Lydia and Chris were in first class putting the last touches on the dates and writing out the date cards.

“I think the one on ones should be Jackson and Stiles this week and everyone else can go on the group date.” Lydia said as she started writing out the cards.

“This will be the first week that everyone will be on a date. Are you excited?” Chris asked.

“I am. I’m looking forward to getting to know these guys better and I’m confident that my future husband is in this group.”

“Is there one, or maybe a few, that are front runners right now?”

“With Jackson and Jordan, the physical chemistry is there,” Lydia started, “And that is really important when thinking about forever, but it’s not everything or even the most important thing. Stiles and I have so much history and I think that could be a strong foundation, I just need to figure out if there’s a romantic spark there. Derek is also pretty great. I loved getting to meet his sister and seeing what he’s like in his natural habitat. I’m looking forward to building those connections more and seeing what potential there is with the other guys.”

When they arrived at the hotel all Stiles wanted to do was sleep for the rest of his life. Jet lag was a real thing and he was feeling it. Unfortunately they only had one day to get their bearings before the first date card would arrive and the unlucky (and very lucky) guy would be going on the first one on one of the week. Stiles wanted a one on one, but would really prefer to have the last date so that he could adjust to the time change before trying to woo Lydia.

Between them, the guys were sharing two suites with two bedrooms each, which meant they were sharing. Stiles was glad to see that he and Derek were assigned to a room together. After bringing their luggage into the room, Stiles plopped down on his bed and let out a groan.

“I am sleeping until I have to leave the hotel and not a minute sooner.”

He vaguely heard Derek’s laugh in response and true to his word, Stiles was out until he was rudely awakened the next day to a bunch of guys jumping on his bed.

“Whtsgonon?” Stiles mumbled as he slowly woke up.

“You said not to wake you until you had to leave,” Said Derek, who was practically on top of Stiles, “Date card came and it has your name on it.”

Stiles shot up, effectively shoving Derek and the others off his bed.

“I’m going on a date today?” He asked, snatching the date card out of Boyd’s hand.

“Only if you aren’t too jet lagged.” Derek teased as the other guys left the room.

“I’m up!” He shouted before digging through his clothing options for something decent and warm to wear. He didn’t even realize Derek was still in the room until he was down to just his boxer briefs, which really left nothing to the imagination.

“Oh, um… could you… give me a minute?” He asked when he noticed Derek was staring.

“What?” Derek asked, his eyebrows pinching as if trying to process the words that were just said, “Yeah, I’ll just…” He trailed off and gestured to the door before awkwardly leaving.

Once Derek was gone, Stiles noticed he was feeling kind of warm and was a little bit flushed. It must have been because of all the excitement of the one on one date. Yeah, that was it. It had absolutely nothing to do with the intense gaze of his roommate. Not at all.

Once he was ready, he left his room and met Lydia in front of the hotel. They greeted each other with a hug and Stiles gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Where are we going?” Stiles asked. He was so excited and rushed that he hadn’t read the vague message on the card.

“We are going to do something very fun.” Lydia promised while wearing her signature mischief smile that hadn’t changed since they were little.

“I don’t know if I should be trusting you right now.” Stiles laughed.

They walked around the city for a little bit and did some sightseeing and food tasting before they arrived at a big arena. They went in and found a skating rink that they had all to themselves.

They strapped on their skates and went out onto the ice. Lydia was gliding like the queen that she was, but Stiles was struggling. Lydia lapped him while he kept falling and trying to get back up before she came back and helped him onto his feet. After that they held each other's hands as they skated around the rink and talked about what life had been like since they were separated.

After about half an hour on the rink, Stiles heard a big roar coming from somewhere in the building.

“Did you hear that?” Stiles asked as he put himself between Lydia and the direction the roar came from.

“I did. And here comes the next surprise of the day.”

Stiles gave her a questioning look before he saw a giant polar bear skate out onto the ice with a woman. The two skated on their own for a little bit before getting closer to Stiles and Lydia.

“Anatoly and I would like to welcome you to the Russian circus!” The trainer said. They skated around the rink with Anatoly the skating bear before the trainer took out a chair and they took turns being pushed around by Anatoly. All in all it was a fun, unique date.

When they were done at the circus they went to a restaurant in an ice palace for dinner.

“I had a really great time today, and every time I’m around you, you never fail to make me smile,” Lydia said, “I’ve always imagined myself falling for my best friend, and I think it’s safe to say you are my best friend. So, Stiles, will you accept this rose?”

Stiles smiled, “Yes, I will accept this rose.”

They hung out until late in the night and when Stiles returned to the hotel the other guys were all sleeping. When Stiles entered his room, he could tell Derek was having a nightmare. He tried to wake the other man up, but nothing was working.

He remembered when he had nightmares after his mom died, either Scott or his dad would climb in bed with him and the nightmares would lessen. With this in mind he changed into his pajamas and climbed into Derek’s bed for the night.

When Derek woke up the next morning it was to a weight on his back and legs tangled with his. His muscles tensed. He didn’t remember going to bed with anyone last night. He turned his head and saw that it was Stiles and he marginally relaxed, but he still didn’t know what the other man was doing in his bed in the first place.

He untangled their legs and moved so he was facing Stiles and tried to shake him awake. It took a few tries, but eventually Stiles was blinking up at him.

“Whts hppnng?” He asked, which made Derek smirk. There was just something so charming about how Stiles hated using vowels first thing in the morning.

“I think I should be asking you that.” Derek stated.

Stiles face pinched in thought before his eyes widened, “I’m in your bed.” Derek nodded, “You were having a nightmare when I came back and I couldn’t wake you. Thought this would help. Sorry.”

With that, Stiles got up and started gathering his things for a shower. Derek thought back to the night before and realized he had had a nightmare, but it had vanished as quickly as it began.

“It did help. Thank you.”

Stiles nodded in response and then left the room. There was an awkwardness in his wake that caused Derek’s heart to tighten, but he brushed it aside and went to the living room where the guys were waiting for the next date card which arrived shortly after Stiles emerged from the bathroom.

Theo was the one who grabbed the card, “Me, Brett, Isaac, Jordan, Aiden, Duke, and Boyd. I think it’s time to cool down. Lydia.”

Derek knew he was going to be on the group date this week since he had a one on one last week, but he didn’t like the idea of Stiles being left with only Jackson for company. He wasn’t the worst guy around, but Jackson was definitely an asshole and most of the time he and Stiles would bicker with each other.

Those who were going on the date got in the cars that were waiting for them outside the hotel and went to meet Lydia at a train. The train took them up a snowy mountain that had a lake towards the top.

“Alright guys, we are going to be doing the polar plunge,” Lydia explained when they arrived, “We do have lifeguards and EMTs standing by in case anything goes wrong, but I think this will be fun!”

Everyone changed into their swimsuits (Jordan in a speedo), grabbed hands, and ran into the ice cold water at the same time. As soon as they were fully emerged they got out of that water. Derek was freezing! Every bit of him was freezing and he wouldn’t be surprised if his dick just fell off because of the cold. The other guys looked to be in about the same state as him, but Theo was trying to look unaffected. 

They dried off and changed back before getting back into the train. Even though the date hadn’t been going on for very long, Theo pulled Lydia aside for some one on one time.

The rest of the night progressed like most other group dates. They ended up at a lodge at the top of the mountain and spent some time in the hot tub on the deck, but that got a little weird any time Lydia was pulled away for a conversation.

The time came for Lydia to give out the group date rose, “This rose goes to the guy who made me feel so comfortable during the polar plunge and took great care of me afterwards. It has taken him a while to open up, but he finally did tonight and I couldn’t be happier. So, Aiden, will you accept this rose.”

Aiden smiled, “Yes, of course I will.” She placed the rose on his jacket and he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Later that night when they arrived back at the hotel, Derek found Stiles already sleeping. He didn’t want to revisit the nightmare he had the night before, so he climbed into Stiles bed and slept more soundly than he had in a long time.

Lydia was anxious for this week’s rose ceremony. All ten guys were really great and it was going to be so hard to send two of them home, but she knew she had to. She was so happy that Stiles, Aiden, and Jackson were safe, but she knew how nervous the others must feel. She had been in the same position not even a year ago.

She left the deliberation room and met the guys for the ceremony. She picked up the first rose, “Isaac, Isaac will you accept this rose? Jordan… Derek… Boyd.”

Chris walked in, “It’s the final rose tonight. Lydia, when you’re ready.”

She looked at the three remaining men. Duke was such a sweet guy. They had so much fun on their one on one date the first week. Brett was hot and athletic, but was also so sweet and he loved his family so much. Theo was more of the bad boy and she was still trying to figure him out, but there was an undeniable chemistry between the two of them.

“Theo. Theo, will you accept this rose?” She asked.

“Yes I will.”

She was so focused on Theo that she missed all the shocked and confused expressions of the other men.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have never been to St. Petersburg and did little to no research on it. The polar bears are a real thing, though.
> 
> As always I love to hear from you so please leave kudos/comments!


	5. Week 5

From St. Petersburg, they flew to Edinburg, Scotland. Just like with Russia, they were given one day to adjust to the time change and Derek and Stiles were rooming together. They had two beds in their room, but they ended up using just one. Stiles found it comforting sleeping with Derek. He still didn’t know what that initial nightmare had been, but Stiles knew Derek would tell him when he was ready.

This week was going to be really interesting. There was one one on one date, one group date, and a two on one date. With the two on one, one person would be going home and the other would get a rose. No one wanted to be on that two on one.

The next morning Derek nudged Stiles awake so he wouldn’t miss the reading of the date card. This time Jackson was holding it, ready to read.

“Boyd, let’s see where this goes. Lydia.”

There were the typical catcalls and cheers as he went to prepare for the date, but there was a tension in the air this time. Everyone wanted the one on one under the best of circumstances, but with the two on one looming, people were vying for it even more. 

Stiles didn’t like the atmosphere, so he grabbed his book and went out on the terris. Shortly after his retreat Derek joined him and they spent the rest of the day together in silence… well, silence except for when Stiles would start babbling to Derek about various plot inconsistencies in the book he was reading. Really, what are the editors even doing if they don’t weed these things out?

In response Derek would just give him a kind smile and let him rant. It was nice. It was going to be weird when one of them went home. Then they wouldn’t see each other until the men tell all special, and maybe not even then if one of them ended up in the top two. That night when they went to bed Stiles held Derek extra close.

The next morning the group date card showed up and Stiles grabbed it from outside the door and started reading, “Theo, Jordan, Jackson, Isaac, and Aiden, who will be my king? Lydia.”

Stiles’ heart sank. The remaining two guys were himself and Derek. That meant one of them was going to be going home that week. He looked over at Derek and saw what he was feeling reflected in Derek’s eyes.

The group of guys left and it was just Stiles, Derek, and Boyd left in the hotel. Boyd mumbled something about needing to get over jet lag and he went into his room and closed the door, leaving Derek and Stiles alone.

Stiles looked around the room at all the cameras positioned and decided this was not the place to have this conversation. He grabbed Derek’s hand and pulled him into their bedroom.

“I don’t want to never see you again.” Stiles whispered, paranoid that any loud noise would send Boyd or the producers into the room.

“I don’t want that either,” Derek said, “You are one of the few people I feel comfortable with.”

“I feel comfortable with you, too. You don’t interrupt my rambling-”

“I love your rambling!” Derek interrupted.

They looked into each other’s eyes and the next thing Stiles knew they were making out. Derek ended up backing him up against the bed and they fell onto it. The fall snapped them out of the moment and they both ended up laughing.

“What’s going on?” Stiles asked.

“I have no idea.”

They exchanged confused looks. Stiles was definitely attracted to Derek and he wanted to get to know him more and spend as much time with him as possible. But at the same time they were here to try and fall in love with Lydia. What were they doing?

“We should probably spend the day apart.” Stiles eventually said, quite reluctantly.

“And we should probably sleep in separate beds tonight, too.” Stiles let out a groan. This was their last real day together and they couldn’t actually be together. This sucked.

Stiles nodded and grabbed his book, “I’ll just be out on the terrace, then.”

Derek nodded in response and that’s how they left their last interaction before the two on one date.

The next day, Stiles, Derek, and Lydia hiked up to Arthur’s seat, which were the old ruins of a castle said to be the sight of Camelot. It was an overall fun day. They ended up trying some traditional dances while they were at the sight.

They then hiked down to Holyrood Palace and had dinner in the midst of all the royal furnishings that were still in the palace. As the night went on, Stiles got more and more nervous. After the revelation of the day before, Stiles wasn’t sure he even wanted to stay. But the selfish part of him wanted Derek to be sent home so that there would be no chance of him ending up with Lydia and there would be a chance the two of them could sort of all this out together.

It came time for Lydia to make her decision and she picked up the rose and looked between the two of them. In that moment, Stiles felt the comforting weight of Derek’s foot on this leg. He was going to miss this man so much.

“This rose is probably the hardest one I have had to give out thus far,” Lydia started, “Stiles, you are one of my best friends, and Derek, I have loved getting to know you under that gruff exterior. What it really comes down to is the one who I feel the most romantic potential. So, Derek, will you accept this rose?”

Derek took a deep breath and looked Stiles in the eye. His heart was breaking seeing that look on Derek’s face.

“No,” Derek finally said, “I’m sorry Lydia, I cannot accept that rose. But would I be able to borrow it for a second?”

Lydia and Stiles exchanged a confused look before she handed the rose over to Derek. What in the world was he doing? This was so out of the box that nothing was making any sense.

“This has been an interesting experience for me,” Derek started, “My sister signed me up because I hadn’t gone on a date in about five years. The reason for that was because my last girlfriend was a paranoid schizophrenic who tried to burn my family home down when she thought I was cheating. Since then I have been plagued with nightmares and had major trust issues.

“However, since coming here, I met someone I feel like I can truly trust. This person managed to chase the nightmares of my past away and I am hopeful to see whatever the future will bring. So, Stiles, will you accept my rose?”

“Yes, you idiot!” Stiles yelled before launching himself across the table to hug the other man. Derek pulled him into a kiss and it was perfect.

They both seemed to come back to themselves and realized where they were.

“Lydia, I am so sorry.” Stiles said as he turned around to look at the woman they were supposed to be falling in love with.

“Why are you apologizing to me?” Lydia asked, “You two found something most people only dream of! I’m so happy for you two! There was one more part of this date planned and I want you to go on it together. I also fully expect at least monthly get togethers when this is all over.”

“I am never letting you slip out of my life again, my queen.” Stiles said before giving her a big hug. When they released each other Lydia gave Derek a hug as well.

“I’m so happy for you!” Lydia called out again before she got in a car that would take her back to the hotel.

Stiles and Derek got in their car, which surprisingly also took them to the hotel. The producers led them up to the roof where a private hot tub was set up. They both changed into their swimsuits and enjoyed their last night before they would return home and have to hide their relationship until the show aired. Needless to say, but the hot tub got extra steamy that night.

For once, Lydia was actually excited for the rose ceremony. It was probably because no one was actually going home. There were six roses and only six contestants left. Before leaving, Stiles and Derek gave her permission to tell the guys what had happened on their date and she couldn’t wait to see the reactions. It would play a big part in who gets cut next week.

Chris walked into the cocktail party space before she did and she watched what was going down on the monitors.

“Hello, guys. There is something you all need to know.” Chris started, “There will be no cocktail party tonight. Instead we will be going straight into the rose ceremony. Lydia will give you more information when the rose ceremony starts.”

The producers went in and got the men into position for the ceremony and set out the rose table and then Lydia entered.

“I don’t know if any of you noticed this last night, but both Derek and Stiles bags were taken last night,” She said, “This was not because I sent them home, however. At the end of the date, Derek declared his feelings for Stiles and those feelings ended up being reciprocated. They finished the date together and left together. I couldn’t be happier for what they have with each other.”

Lydia paused, looking at each of the guys. The only one who seemed to have any issues was Theo.

“That being said, there are still a total of six roses and there are six of you left. If any of you have a reason to leave, please say so now.”


	6. The Men Tell All

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since this is a Sterek story, you don't get the rest of the episodes of the show, but there will be an epilogue where you find out who Lydia chose. I haven't decided who it should be yet, so let me know in the comments who you want to win! The epilogue will still have a lot of Sterek, don't worry ;)
> 
> Please leave comments or kudos, I always love hearing from you guys!

Derek felt like he was on top of the world. The flight back from Scotland, he and Stiles couldn’t keep their hands off each other and got told off by quite a few flight attendants and other passengers. They also may have joined the mile high club. Everyone on the flight knew it, but they kept that to themselves.

Getting off the plane was the hard part. Because of the show, they had to keep their relationship a secret from the public until the episode aired. Also, while they lived in the same state, they were still hours away from each other. They had a tearful goodbye before Stiles went to his connecting flight and Derek left to get his bags and head home.

Over the following months there were many visits and zoom conversations. It turned out the only reason Stiles was staying in Beacon Hills was to be close to his dad, but his dad wanted to retire and move somewhere warmer. Stiles started applying for jobs in LA and Derek started clearing out half his closet and rearranging furniture so Stiles could bring in what he wanted.

Derek’s family didn’t know what was going on. The producers had intentionally kept Laura out of the loop at his request. His family didn’t know he was bisexual and wanted the drama of the show to be his coming out. 

When it aired, they all sat down together each week and watched it together. His mom commented on how cute he and Lydia would have been together and lamented the fact that she didn’t choose him. Derek smirked at all those comments, knowing he had someone even better in his life now.

Finally, the Scotland episode was airing. Derek had been surprised with how much footage of him and Stiles they had aired before this, yet somehow not alluding to the fact that they were going to run away together. To say they were shocked by Derek’s declaration would be an understatement.

There was a lot of “What!” and “Why didn’t you tell us?” and “Are you two still together?” It was then that Derek explained to them what all had happened and, yes, he and Stiles were still together and were going to move in together very soon. Yes they would all get to meet him and no he didn’t know when.

Four months after they finished filming, it was time. They were finally filming the men tell all episode and Stiles and Derek could be as public about their relationship as they wanted. Laura did Derek’s make up just like she did before the first episode started. All the guys got situated on their stools and the filming started.

“Hello and welcome everybody to the men tell all event,” Chris said, “I am Chris Harrison and tonight we are going to be hearing from some of the most memorable men of the season. We have Isaac, Boyd, Theo, Brett, Liam, Stiles, Derek, Duke, Chris, Bobby, and the most recent heartbreak, Aiden. Later tonight we will be putting Aiden in the hot seat as well as Derek and Stiles, but for now let's take a look back at the journey so far.”

They started playing clips, both of things that were shown on the show and some that hadn’t. The guys were all laughing and cringing at different things they had done or said while on the show. It was strange to have a portion of your life so well documented.

When the footage stopped, Chris said, “Let’s start with Theo. He was a point of tension in the house, but outwardly was very charming. What was it that made you guys not trust him? And, Theo, you will get a chance to tell your side.”

Derek tuned this part out a little. While he had never liked Theo, he stayed away from the drama of it all. Stiles chimed in here and there since he had been the first one to state his distrust of Theo in a confessional.

“We’ll talk more when we come back.” Chis said.

Stiles turned to Derek, “Are you okay? You seem a little withdrawn.”

Derek could see the confusion and worry on Stiles face, “Don’t worry, Babe, I just didn’t have much to contribute to the conversation so I zoned out. I’m fine.” He gave Stiles a reassuring smile and reached over and squeezed his hand.

He heard someone make a disgusted sound, but he chose to ignore it. He knew Theo was kicked off the show due to his homophobia. While that might not have shown in the filming and what was aired, Derek and Stiles had had dinner with Lydia and the winning guy (at home so know one could see) and she told them as much. He wasn’t going to give that guy and inch and he could see the same resolve being mirrored back to him in Stiles eyes.

“We’re coming back in three, two, one...” A producer said.

“Welcome back to the men tell all event,” Chris started, “We just finished talking about the controversial Theo Raeken and now we are moving on to a happier topic, take a look.”

Derek looked at the screen and saw a montage of him and Stiles. There was a surprising amount of footage, most of it not seen on the show since they were going for the shock factor. It was weird, but so nice to see how his relationship with Stiles developed and he could tell Stiles was just as much in love with him and he was with Stiles.

The most shocking part was that they actually had footage of the brief make out session in their room the day before the two on one date. He had no idea how they got that, but he was glad they did. It was a pivotal moment in their relationship and it was when Derek decided he was going to be going home with Stiles one way or another.

When the montage ended, Chris said, “I’d like to open this up to all of you. Did any of you know there was something going on between Stiles and Derek?”

Boyd started everyone off, “Can I just say, I was in the next room! You two were making out in the next room and I had no idea!”

That made everyone laugh and Stiles responded with “Sorry?” which everyone knew he didn’t actually mean.

“Well, Stiles would always moan over Derek’s cooking and beg him to marry him, so I guess he got his wish.” Aiden laughed.

The other comments were much the same. They knew Derek and Stiles were close, but hadn’t known there was any romantic or sexual interest there.

“When we return Stiles and Derek will be in the hot seat and we’ll hear all about how their relationship developed and what it’s been like since returning home.”

Stiles got up and stretched and went for a quick bathroom break before the next segment started. When he returned he found Derek fluffing the pillows on the couch.

“What are you doing?” Stiles asked, “Was the couch not comfy enough for you?”

“It’ll be plenty comfy with you next to me.” Derek smirked.

“Smooth. Very smooth.” Stiles commented as they sat on the couch.

“Welcome back everyone!” Chis said, “I have Derek and Stiles in the hot seat and we are about to get the inside scoop on their relationship.”

Stiles loved talking about how he and Derek got together, not that he could very often with the restrictions of the show’s contract, but that was over now. He got to talk all about how he landed a smoking hot ten who was an absolute dork and how they were living together now and it was the best.

“Now, that two on one date was one of the most unexpected things to happen in bachelor history.” Chris stated, “Derek, what was going through your mind on that date and when you offered a rose that was not yours to Stiles?”

Stiles looked at Derek with interest. This was something Stiles had been curious about, but never had the courage to ask. He was glad the rest of America was with him on this so that the question was actually asked in a place he was guaranteed an answer.

“Well, after the revelation the day before, I know I couldn’t leave Stiles.” Derek reached over and gave Stiles’ hand a squeeze, “I knew if I left I would track him down later on and reconnect, maybe see if something was there. I wasn’t expecting to get the rose because of all the history Stiles and Lydia had. When she gave me the rose I knew I couldn’t accept because my heart already belonged to someone else. I knew I had to do something in that moment, so I gave him Lydia’s rose. But tonight I’d like to do it properly.”

“Wait, what?” Stiles asked. He had absolutely no clue what was going on.

Derek reached under the pillow and pulled out a rose and a small box before moving down on one knee, “Stiles, you are the love of my life. You made me feel comfortable in an environment that took me so far out of my comfort zone. You took away my nightmares and replaced them with beautiful dreams. I can’t imagine my life without you. So, Stiles Stilinski, will you accept this rose and will you marry me?”

Stiles started tearing up. He hadn’t been expecting a proposal at all. They hadn’t even been together six months! It was unconventional, sure, but Stiles knew Derek was it for him.

“Yes I’ll marry you!” Stiles proclaimed, “I love you so much!”

“When we return, Aiden will be in the hot seat. And tune in next week when we find out if Lydia will pick Jackson or Jordan.”


	7. Epilouge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a short little epilogue for you guys! I had so much fun writing this story and I hope you all enjoyed reading it as I did writing it.

Today was the day. Stiles was finally marrying the man of his dreams. The wedding was going to be broadcast live because people were super invested in his and Derek’s love story. In his bridal party were his two closest friends, Scott and Lydia. Derek’s sisters were on his side. Despite the cameras it was quite the small gathering.

Derek only invited his immediate family, not even creepy uncle Peter got an invite. Stiles only invited his dad, Scott’s mom, Scott’s wife, and Lydia’s fiance, Jordan (yes, he won The Bachelorette). Chris Harrison was also invited because he was officiating, and Derek and Stiles thought it would be fun to invite Isaac and Boyd as well. Out of everyone on the show those two were the ones they stayed in contact with the most.

The venue was the wolf sanctuary. It took a lot to get that approved, but it was worth it. Cora had also managed to train wolf Derek to bring in the rings. This day was going to be perfect.

Stiles took one last look at himself in the mirror. He was wearing a black suit with a red tie (Derek always said he looked great in red). Derek had the same suit, but with a green tie (it really brought out his eyes and Stiles loved it).

There was a knock on the door and Stiles turned around and found his dad in the doorway.

“Are you ready, kiddo?” He asked.

“More than ready, Dad.” Stiles smiled, and it was true. Stiles was ready to become Stiles Stilinski-Hale.

The bridal party walked down the aisle first, then Derek was walked down by his parents and then Stiles’ dad escorted him down the aisle. Reds and greens were everywhere and wolf Derek was so adorable coming down the aisle when Chris asked for the rings.

Through the whole ceremony, Derek was smiling more than Stiles had ever seen him smile and it was a beautiful sight. It was more beautiful than the fancy suits and more beautiful than the preserve around them. Stiles vowed in that moment to do whatever he could to make Derek smile like that again.

He couldn’t have imagined a better wedding or a better person to marry. Not even a year ago he had been chasing after Lydia… again. But he ended up with something so much more and so much better. He was glad to have Lydia back in his life and glad that she and Jordan decided to live in California, but none of that compared to the happiness he got when he was with the man in front of him.

It wasn’t always sunshine and roses with Derek. There were so many fights when he and Derek had first moved in together, but every relationship had fights and rough patches. He and Derek always managed to come out the other end stronger and Stiles wouldn’t have it any other way.


End file.
